Daydream
by 1Past and Present1
Summary: While Tangle tries to invent a special handshake with Whisper as a compensation for intimacy, Amy speaks and Rouge listens.


"Aw, would you look at that."

Rouge places the schematics aside and steps closer to Amy, settling at the hedgehog's shoulder with the ease of familiarity brought about by survival.

"Aren't they just the cutest little couple, ever?"

"Those two? Hmm."

Perched on a crate, Tangle is trying to orchestrate some sort of complicated handshake with Whisper, likely to replace the many hugs that the lemur so eagerly gives out, knowing that the wolf is not much of a hugger herself. A bright smile and shy giggles are mutual rewards. They don't seem to be having much success, but they are clearly enjoying themselves and each other, much to the bemusement of the Wisps who note that the affectionate lack of progress seems to only make the women giddier.

"Oh, they're adorable, alright." Slyly, the bat leans a little closer. "But I thought you and Blue held that title, being the 'cutest' of couples."

"Psht. Duh, of course!"

Rouge smirks when Amy tosses a hand back, gently striking a breastplate.

"I meant after Sonic and I. We're still the cutest couple, ever. Don't be silly."

"Oh, I see."

"Anyway, they're so in love and I can't wait for the day they finally realise it, too."

"Mmhm."

"Why don't they see it, now, though? It's obvious to me, but not to them. And probably not to anyone else. Darn, it's always like that. Me, witnessing. Everyone else, oblivious."

"Totally, girlfriend. You're just smart n'stuff. Way beyond the rest of us."

"It's hard, sometimes, being as perceptive as I am."

"I can't even begin to imagine how hard it must be."

"Alas!" the hedgehog cries, recalling her love for theatre. "Why am I burdened with this special sight?"

"Well." The bat allows for a pause, then purrs, "Could be that you never take off your rosy glasses," through fangs.

"I just wanna grab those two by the backs of their heads, see?" Amy mimics the action, ignoring the way Rouge scoffs, then grunts upon being seized. "And smash their lips together like this," a tight squeeze to a bicep, "until they finally get the idea and start smooching, already."

"That's vaguely violent and a touch disturbing."

"It's romantic and passionate," the hedgehog grumbles good-naturedly, having unknowingly grasped the bat's arm to hold onto something. "Defrost a little, why don't you?"

"I quite like being frosty, thanks. "

"Aw! Did you see that?"

"See what?"

"They got really close, just now! Like, closer than a friendly sorta closeness!"

"Ow."

"That confirms it, see? I'm not crazy, I'm not imagining things!"

"Debatable, still. You're cutting off my circulation."

"Boy, oh, boy! They may even have it worse than you and Shadow!"

"Oh, please, not this song, again."

"Come to think of it! You guys used to be the second cutest couple." Amy turns to grin up at Rouge, receiving a look of womanly distaste in return. "Sitting at a close third, now, though that's still pretty cute."

"For the last time, we are not a thing."

"Not yet, but someday, you will be."

"Give me back my arm."

"Fine, fine. You can love me from a distance, as you are wont to do."

"Yeah, let's do it like that, rather." The bat shakes her head, stirring her ears with the motion, and extracts her arm from the hedgehog's loosened embrace, taking a moment to rub the affected area as if wounded. "Quite far away, would be preferable."

"You're not getting any younger, you know."

"Don't remind me, honey. And don't start singing, again."

"Just something to think about." Amy returns to admiring the clumsy flirtation that goes on between lemur and wolf, sighing. "Your knees aren't always gonna be that sturdy."

"Leave my knees out of this."

"It's just that, well, you're supposed to kneel when you propose and the arthritis will make that difficult."

"Ugh."

"By the time you've gotten your act together and asked him, you'll be turning grey at the ears. I know it. I can see it, now."

"Why must I propose? He can do it. Arrogant man."

"Be different. Be nonconforming. You're modern."

"Says the girl vouching for marriage," Rouge fondly mutters whilst turning curvaceously away, ignoring Amy's sniggers and sauntering back to the schematics. "Bah! Talking to you is so weird, sometimes."

"I get the irony. But what's wrong with marriage?"

"Nothing, ideally. I'm just not the marrying kind."

"So you've said, so you've said."

"Still, I'll kneel to Shadow the day you finally check yourself into a nuthouse. Old and decrepit or not."

"Fair enough. Are you grumpy, now?"

"Yes, very."

"Am I being tiresome?"

"You and your romantic theorizing…"

"Can't help it if I'm right, now, can I?"

In the brief silence, only Tangle's clumsy attempts to coordinate with Whisper can be distinctly heard over the constant drone of the base.

"I do really think you would be the one to propose, though."

The bat is struck by the seriousness in the hedgehog's tone, this time.

"You'd be the one to do it. And I wonder… how he'd react to that. Would he be flattered? Afraid? Would he think it absurd? Do you know?"

"Actually, no, honey, I don't."

"I wonder, would he say yes?"

"He'd be a fool to agree. I'd make an awful wife."

"I don't think so. You'd be fun and demanding and generous. Difficult, but worthy."

"So, not entirely awful, then."

"And I think Shadow would be a good husband, truly, I do. Even if he'd sometimes struggle and make mistakes, just like you, just like me."

"But I get along with him fine without marrying the man. And let me tell you, living with him isn't always easy. As much as I enjoy having him around, all to myself, on most days."

"Still. I wonder. Like, you've got the foundations and your bond is strong. You could build something new and exciting, on top of what was already there. Add to what you've made, together."

"Maybe. I like things as they are, though."

"But imagine it. If you find the courage inside to ask, to take that chance…"

Rouge stares at the schematics and she understands them, but she isn't processing anything but Amy's voice, still quiet, eerily sombre.

"I mean, if it ever happens… I wonder…"

"Hon?"

"Will you be able to face the possibility that… he might say no?"

The schematics are slowly lowered by large, feminine hands, eyes rising in their place, lingering on the pink quills.

"Do you mind, my asking?"

"No."

"How would you feel, if after all that, he said no?"

"It'd break my heart."

The hedgehog turns back to give the bat an intense look from over her shoulder.

"But why the question?"

"I dunno."

"You were so certain, before."

It's easy to get distracted. Amy can be forgiven for staring, for forgetting her voice.

Rouge has a handsome smile when it's sincere and gentle, like this. "It was a matter of when, not if." Her smile drains away some of the coldness from her eyes, rendering them not quite as hard and sharp as cut diamonds. "Remember?"

"Oh."

"That's what you said. I'll eventually grow a pair and ask that guy to marry me, then hope he says yes. And if he says no, my heart will break. When I'm old, maybe that'll be the thing that does me in."

"Don't say that."

Despite the jest, snowy brows gorgeously set into a frown of mild-mannered, wise concern.

"Have hope, okay?"

"And you?"

"Me?"

"You're still hopeful, hon, aren't you?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm holding onto it."

"Does that help?"

"Sometimes, I think I'm actually hopeless and deluding myself, like some people have told me. I wonder if maybe they're right and then I imagine I'm some sort of pervert."

The bat's eyes follow as the pink hedgehog approaches slowly.

"I'd propose, if I only could reassure myself enough that he won't crush me."

"Blue's a good guy, hon. If you do get a ring and kneel, he won't do anything deliberately hurtful. But it's his choice, too."

"I know. It's why I'm in love with him. It's why I'm hopeless. He comes and he goes and sometimes he leaves without me, leaves me behind, waiting. I can't always keep up, though I've gotten faster, haven't I?"

"You've really overthought this, honey."

"I've lost a lot of sleep over the years. I'm not sorry, though. Just don't mean any harm. See?"

Rouge doesn't know what to say, so she awkwardly straightens herself and unfurls a wing, instead, which Amy gratefully slips beneath.

"Mmm."

The bat doesn't resist the hedgehog's resting head.

"Warm," Amy says softly. "You're very warm."

"Warmer than I look."

"Sorry."

"Don't be. No harm done."

"Still."

"No more apologies."

"You're being awfully nice to me, right now, you know."

"I have my moments. There's not much practical use in fretting about future maybes and what-ifs and I don't wanna hear any more apologies. M'Kay."

"Heh." Amy wishes that they had become this close, sooner, when Rouge lightly brushes their cheeks together in a nuzzle, something pure, genuine, comforting. "Okay."


End file.
